Some UMD nursing students could graduate early to help fight COVID-19

Some UMD nursing students could graduate early to help fight COVID-19

THE GROWING NUMBER OFCORONAVIRUS PATIENTS INMARYLAND CONTINUES TO PUT ASTRAIN ON THE HEALTHCAREINDUSTRY.

WMAR 2 NEWS' MARKROPER IS LIVE OUTSIDE THEUNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND SCHOOLOF NURSING IN DOWNTOWNBALTIMOR━ WHERE NURSES WILLBE HEADING FROM THE CLASSROOMTO THE FRONT LINES A LOTSOONER THAN THEY MAY HATHOUGHT.MOST COLLEGE STUDENTS AANXIOUS TO GRADUATE AND GET AJOB.

BUT FOR STUDENTS HERE ATTHE UNIVERSITY OF MARYLANDSCHOOL OF NURSING WHO MAKE THGRADE━ THEY WON'T HAVE TOWAIT FOR THEIR DIPLOMA TARRIVE FIRST.

THE UNIVERSITYOF MARYLAND SCHOOL OF NURSIIS GIVING STUDENTS A CHANCE TOGET A HEAD START ON THEICAREERS AND START TENDING TOPATIENTS.

SELECT STUDENTSWOULD BE ABLE TO GET A JOBBEFORE THEY GRADUATE ANDTURN━ THEY'LL HELP FILL THESHORTAGE OF NURSES IN TSTATE.

THE EARLY EXIT OPTIONIS AVAILABLE TO SELECSTUDENTS IN THE━ ENTR━INT━PRACTICE━ BACHELOR OSCIENCE IN NURSING PROGRAM━AS WELL AS THE CLINICAL NURSLEADER MASTER'S PROGRAM.

ANDIN ORDER TO BE ELIGIBLE FTHE EARLY EXIT OPTION━STUDENTS MUST MEET SPECIFG━━ A AND ACADEMIC PROGRAMREQUIREMENTS.

ONCE THEY'REAPPROVED━ THE SCHOOL WILLGIVE THOSE QUALIFIED STUDENTSA LETTER TO SHOW THEIR FUTUREEMPLOYER THAT THEY ARE READY━ WILLING━ AND ABLE TOSTART WORK.

UNIVERSITYADMINISTRATORS HOPE THIS WILLBUILD UP THE NURSING WORKFORCEAT A TIME WHEN THE NEED FORHEALTHCARE WORKERS ISCRITICAL.

BIMBOLA AKINTADE/UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND SCHOOLOF NURSING: We do expect someof our students will on thefront lines of some of thecritical care environment, inthe ICU and will more thanlikely come in contact withpositive COVI━19 patients.ADMINISTRATORS SAY 151 NURSINGSTUDENTS HERE ARE QUALIFIEDAND STUDENTS ANXIOUS TOGRADUATE AND GET TO WORK━JUST NEED TO LET SCHOOLOFFICIALS KNOW THEY'REINTERESTED IN TAKING ADVANTAGEOF THE EARLY EXIT OPTION.

LIVEIN DOWNTOWN BALTIMORE━ MARKROPER━ WMAR 2 N